


Make Me Blue

by BlueBloodedFools



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Canon Temporary Character Death, Canon-Typical Violence, Eventual Happy Ending, M/M, Markus and North did not become lovers, Pacifist Markus (Detroit: Become Human), Post-Pacifist Best Ending (Detroit: Become Human), The Stratford Tower/Public Enemy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-08
Updated: 2018-07-08
Packaged: 2019-06-07 12:37:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,852
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15219302
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlueBloodedFools/pseuds/BlueBloodedFools
Summary: It's over. The androids are free. And yet, as Markus looks to the empty space at his side he can’t help but feel hollow.Simon should be standing here. Instead, he’d been abandoned, left behind to face almost certain death at Stratford Tower.(Formerly titled "We're Ruined but We're Still Building")





	Make Me Blue

**Author's Note:**

> Some quick notes:  
> -Set after the "Golden Ending"  
> -Simon was left behind at Stratford Tower and was found by Connor  
> -Markus and North never became lovers
> 
> There will be a happy ending to this! Please believe me! They just gotta work for it a bit is all. 
> 
> I want to thank shrupinterrupts/[shrupdedup](https://shrupdedup.tumblr.com) for rubbing their hands all over this and helping me make it better. Nobody could ask for a better beta!

It’s over. We won.

It rings clear in his mind after Markus finishes his speech and the crowd cheers. There’s a long struggle still ahead to make everything official, but they’ve won. And yet, as Markus looks to the empty space at his side he can’t help but feel hollow.

Simon should be standing here. The thought sends such a strong pang through Markus that he nearly falters. Simon was instrumental to Jericho’s success, a vital part of Jericho becoming more than just a shelter for the broken and afraid, yet he isn’t here. Instead, he’d been abandoned, left behind to face almost certain death at Stratford Tower. Markus wishes he knew what happened to him after he and the others made their escape.

With these thoughts eating away at him he almost doesn’t notice Connor approaching. The former deviant hunter’s expression is closed, guarded. For all the trust that Markus has placed in him and the pivotal role he’d played in securing their freedom, Markus knows very little about him. He knows Connor struggled to overcome his programming and reject his mission to cut their movement short. He’d seen it on Connor’s face and wondered if he’d looked the same that night that he’d struggled against Leo. Yet almost immediately Connor had been willing to face certain death for their cause. He wonders what Connor will do now that it’s over.

“Markus. If you have a moment I would like to speak with you.”

 _That_ catches his attention. He can’t gauge the expression on Connor’s face, but his LED is a solid yellow. Anxious, maybe? Markus isn’t sure, but whatever Connor is thinking about is clearly bothering him.

“Go ahead. I’m not exactly busy right now.” He spreads his arms to indicate the scene around them. The androids gathered around are chattering in excitement and relief, and North and Josh have their heads bent together in the middle of some heated discussion. He can surely spare a moment for Connor.

Markus sees Connor’s LED flicker and barely has a moment to wonder what could be bothering him so much when the other android speaks. “It’s about an android named Simon.”

Markus’ thoughts stutter to a halt. He honestly thinks he can feel his thirium pump regulator skip a beat. Whatever he was expecting Connor to say it wasn’t that. When Connor doesn’t say anything else, Markus realizes that he’s waiting for a response. It takes him a moment before can force anything out. “Go on. Please.” His voice sounds rough to his own ears. 

Connor’s LED is flickering again and as Markus watches his expression shift. Worry. Shame. Suddenly Connor isn’t meeting his eyes. Markus wants to shake him.

“Connor. What about Simon? What do you know?”

Yellow flickers to red and Connor meets his eyes, expression tormented.

“I know what happened to him.” 

* * *

 

The trip to the police station is a blur. Dimly Markus is aware of riding with Connor, North, and Josh in Lieutenant Anderson’s car. Every moment of the trip is neatly stored away in his memory should he need to review it, but it doesn’t have his full attention. The words ‘cornered’ and ‘shot himself’ keep running through his mind and the distress on Connor’s face told him that there was more to it than the short, almost clinical description he’d been given. When words failed him, Connor had extended his hand, synthetic skin fading away in an offer to show him in a way that only androids could. But Markus refused. He doesn’t think he would have been able to bear seeing Simon’s death through Connor’s eyes. 

Part of him is in awe that Simon would go so far to protect Jericho, and he hates it. He hates it even more that Simon’s sacrifice had ultimately been in vain. 

When they pull into the parking lot at the DPD Markus is overcome with a sense of dread. Beyond those doors lay the evidence of one of his biggest mistakes. He should have found a way to take Simon with them, but instead he’d left him behind. He should have-

“Markus?” 

North’s voice pulls him from his thoughts. Looking up, he realizes that everyone else has exited the vehicle. They’re only waiting for him. He sees a rare flash of sympathy on North’s face and that’s enough to get him moving. She’d been cold to him since he’d refused her advances, so he knew he must look rough.

As much as he’d like to, he can’t just stay here and mope. He owes Simon this much. 

He hauls himself out of the car and notices that Lieutenant Anderson is absent. Noticing his confusion, Connor speaks up. “The Lieutenant has already gone inside to inform the Captain of our presence and our purpose here. He will insure that the other officers do not interfere.” 

Markus can’t help the odd quirk of his lips and the sense of relief that comes with those words. “I’m glad he’s on our side. Something tells me we’re going to need all the help we can get in the coming days.” 

Connor’s head dips in agreement, a small smile forming on his lips before it quickly vanishes. “We should head inside. There are, ah...certain individuals I would rather not come across right now. It would be best to get in and out as quickly as possible.” 

Markus dearly wants to ask, but he knows that he would only be stalling the inevitable. He gestures for Connor to lead the way and falls in step behind him, Josh and North on his heels. He expects the station to be bustling with activity considering recent events, but as they pass through the lobby and into the area marked ‘Restricted’ he notes how quiet it is. The lack of noise, of people, stands out. It’s eerie. It seems that the bulk of the officers remaining in the city are out on damage control. Lieutenant Anderson and who he assumes to be the Captain are deep in a heated discussion inside a glass-lined office. No doubt discussing Simon’s release from police custody. Or rather, the release of his body.

Connor leads them straight to the evidence room and as they descend the stairs Markus can feel the sense of dread returning. The room that Connor leads them into is small and sterile with a simple terminal in the center. He isn’t sure what he expected an evidence room to look like but this wasn’t it. Carl used to watch old cop shows, and the evidence rooms were always rows and rows of rickety shelves lined with boxes with dusty labels. He isn’t sure if this is better or worse. 

Connor stands in front of the terminal and hesitates before turning to look Markus in the eye. “I’m sorry, Markus. This is going to be...unpleasant.” Markus has no time to question him before Connor enters a command on the console. The wall at the far end of the room rises and Markus is overcome with horror. 

This is worse. This is so much worse.

The sight of Simon dangling lifelessly from a peg on the evidence wall kicks up his artificial pulse until little red warnings start appearing in the corner of his vision. Markus can hear North swearing viciously behind him but he can’t tear his eyes away. He is moving before he realizes it, until he is standing directly in front of what has become of his friend. He lifts a shaking hand until he can almost touch Simon’s face but stops. He can’t bring himself to make that contact, to press his hand to the thirium-stained skin. Simon’s eyes are wide open and an inhuman black and blue that speaks of severe damage. His mouth is stained a deep blue, and Markus can see the hole in the top of his head from the bullet that Simon himself had put there in his desperate attempt to protect Jericho’s location.

The stunt Markus pulled at the tower had put them all in danger and Simon paid the price.

Markus feels Connor’s presence next to him but he can’t tear his gaze away from Simon. “I was...connected to him when he fired. I felt his fear, and his determination to stop me from finding you. And I felt him die.” Connor’s voice breaks on the last word but Markus can’t find it in himself to feel sorry for him. Not right now. He has to get Simon out of here. Back among their people. He can’t leave him like this.

“When I reactivated him for questioning I-  I could feel his desperation to return home.”

 _Reactivated._  

Markus turns his head slowly to stare at Connor. The RK800’s LED is a flickering yellow, occasionally interrupted by a short pulse of red. “What are you talking about?” 

Connor doesn’t meet his gaze. “It’s how I managed to discover the location of Jericho. I was able to reactivate him with many of his vital processes intact-”

Markus doesn’t listen to the rest. He immediately turns back to Simon and starts scanning. A list of damaged parts pops into his vision but he pushes the information aside until he sees it; in the gaping hole in the center of Simon’s chest there is a vital component out of alignment. If he twists it just so-

“Markus, _wait_ -!” 

Simon’s head jerks upright the moment he slots the component back in place. He starts calling out for Markus almost immediately, voice mechanical and distorted and Markus only gets out a quiet whisper of his name before Simon’s attention snaps to him. Simon’s arm latches onto his in a vice grip and then Simon is _in his head._  

 _I’m dead weight I’ll only slow them down_ **_LEGS DAMAGED FUNCTIONALITY DOWN BY 74 PERCENT_ ** _Cold cold so cold They need to leave me_ **_pleasedontleavemeMarkus_ ** _don’t listen to her don’t shoot_ **_angerfearbetrayalrelief_ ** _Of course he wouldn't shoot he isn’t like that not my Markus_ **_Oh god they’re leaving_ ** _I need to hide I need to get away Need to buy some time_

 _The police are here they’re coming_ **_they’re going to find me_ ** _can’t let them catch me They know I’m here they’ve found me_ **_theyregoingtokillme_ ** _they’re going to catch me I can’t let that happen He’s going to see he’s going to find him_ **_STRESS LEVEL 98 PERCENT_ ** _I can’t let him need to keep them safe need to keep Jericho safe_ **_can’t let him find Markus_ ** _I’m sorry I’m sorry_ **_I’m sorry_ **

**_CRITICAL SYSTEM FAILURE SHUTDOWN IMMINENT_ **  

 _scaredscaredscaredSCAREDSCARED_ **_SCA-_ **

_Why is it so dark where am I this isn’t the roof why can’t I see why can’t I move_ **_Markus whereisMarkus_ ** _who’s here Jericho why Jericho don’t recognize them_ **_itssodarkwhycantIsee_ ** _can’t tell them_ **_Markus_ ** _He’s gone_ **_where is Markus_ ** _I need to find Markus_ **_cantletthemfindMarkus_ ** _can’t let them kill Markus_  

 _Markus is here Markus needs help Jericho must find Jericho need directions to Jericho of course anything to help anything for Markus_ **_notMarkuscantbeMarkus_ ** _Markus is leaving Markus can’t leave_  

 _Markus?_  

_Is that you, Markus?_

_Don’t leave me again, Markus!_  

**_Don’t leave!_ **

**Author's Note:**

> I fell head over heels for these characters and will gladly fight David Cage for all the ways he messed up this game.
> 
>  
> 
> [Follow me on Twitter!](https://twitter.com/thiriumhearts)
> 
>  
> 
> [Follow me on Tumblr!](https://bluebloodedfools.tumblr.com)


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